The invention relates to an apparatus for holding and making contact with a radio telephone.
Apparatuses of this type are used in vehicles in order to securely retain a radio telephone and to connect it electrically to components stored in the vehicle, such as, for example, hands-free devices and external antennae on vehicles.
A holder of this type is disclosed in WO 97/25223. This holder has a holding shaft which can be rotated about a horizontal axis and has a contact unit into which the telephone set is inserted by its end near to the mouthpiece. The radio telephone is locked in the holder by combined pivoting of the radio telephone together with the holding shaft into the horizontal. In this position, that end of the radio telephone which is near the earpiece is grasped by a claw and held there in the horizontal. The holder for the radio telephone is held by a receptacle in a latching and re-detachable manner, so that the radio telephone can also be taken out of the receptacle together with the holder.
Furthermore, a holder of this type is disclosed in WO 98/40244. This holder essentially comprises a holding shell with a contact unit into which the radio telephone is first of all place obliquely by its end near to the mouthpiece. This movement is followed by a rotational movement of the radio telephone around that end which is near to the mouthpiece and onto the holding shell. In this position, the end which is near to the earpiece is then engaged over by a spring-mounted claw.
The prior art also discloses a holder for radio telephones, in which the radio telephone is first of all latched into a holder. Contact is then made via a cable whose plug is mounted displaceably in a guide which is opened upward and is arranged in the holder. To make the contact, this plug is pushed by hand in the direction of the radio telephone. The plug latches with latching tabs in the plug socket in the radio telephone. Owing to the fact that the guide for the plug is opened upward, the radio telephone can be removed from the holder together with the plug and the associated cable. The radio telephone mounted in the holder is decoupled from the plug by a complicated pulling and pushing movement used to decouple the plug by hand from the plug socket on the radio telephone. This decoupling movement is difficult, since the plug can only be grasped with difficulty, and at the same time as the pulling movement a pushing movement also has to be carried out, in order to release the latching of the plug from the plug socket in the radio telephone.
The invention is based on the object of developing an apparatus for holding and making contact with a radio telephone, which apparatus can be operated in a simple manner and can be produced cost-effectively.
A further object of the invention is to propose an apparatus for holding and making contact with a radio telephone, which apparatus is suitable both for the reliable contact of electrical connections, in which the radio telephone has pins and the plug has sleeve- or fork-shaped master contacts, and for electrical connections, in which the radio telephone has contact surfaces and the plug has resilient contact pins.
According to the invention, this object is achieved in conjunction with the preamble of claim 1 by the defining features of patent claim 1.
The apparatus according to the invention for holding and making contact with a radio telephone comprises a shell, in which the radio telephone is inserted by its rear side, and a slide which has a contact unit for the electrical and/or mechanical engagement in an interface on the radio telephone. The linearly moveable slide enables electrical contact between the apparatus and the radio telephone to be produced in a simple manner. Tilting of the contact unit with respect to the interface is reliably avoided by the guides on the slides. Even a radio telephone whose interface has pins can therefore be made contact with rapidly, reliably and without the risk of damage to the pins. The slide furthermore ensures that the telephone can be grasped readily.
According to an advantageous embodiment of the subject matter of the invention, a region of the holder which is opposite the slide engages over the radio telephone. It is thereby achieved that as soon as the slide is pushed on, the radio telephone is retained securely in the holder by two sides and remains in the holder even in the event of a traffic accident.
It is furthermore advantageous if a spike which is arranged on the holder opposite the slide engages in the housing of the radio telephone. The radio telephone is likewise reliably retained thereby in the holder.
According to a particularly preferred embodiment of the subject matter of the invention, provision is made for the slide to latch in at least one of its positions. In this case, provision may be made for the slide to latch in the position which retains the radio telephone and/or in the position which releases the radio telephone. This has the advantage that in the slide position retaining the radio telephone, the contact remains secure even during vibrations and even if the contact itself does not have any auxiliary means which prevent the contacts from becoming detached. Latching of the slide in the position releasing the radio telephone is advantageous, since the radio telephone, after being removed, can then immediately be inserted back into the holder without having to push the slide back beforehand.
It is furthermore advantageous if the slide is blocked by means of a mechanical or electrical block in its position which releases the radio telephone, as long as the radio telephone is not correctly located in the shell for holding the telephone. This prevents the slide from inadvertently being pushed into the position retaining the radio telephone and therefore making the insertion difficult. Furthermore, this device protects the radio telephone and the holder from damage, since the slide is prevented from being pushed into the position retaining the radio telephone, as long as the radio telephone is still not correctly located in the receptacle.
According to a particularly advantageous embodiment, the radio telephone is supported on the shell against a pulling-off movement and against a pushing-on movement of the slide. This prevents the radio telephone from becoming wedged under the shell during the pulling-off movement and prevents the radio telephone from being pushed out of the shell during the pushing-on movement.
It is furthermore advantageous if the cable leading to a hands-free and remote control device is connected directly to the slide. Complicated cable routing from the shell of the holder to the slide of the holder is therefore avoided and cost-effective production of the holder furthered.